Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Stimulant abuse damages women's brains more severely than men's -- even when men are the worse abusers, according to a new MRI study from the University of Colorado that surprised its investigators and left new questions in its wake.
MRI showed a greater loss of gray-matter volume among women who had abused stimulants and quit for about a year compared with men. Worse, the areas affected in women's brains were critical regions associated with reward, learning, and executive control. What happened to the men? Find out here, or visit our MRI Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
Cocaine damage heals
On the other hand, a new SPECT study from researchers in Uruguay found that brain damage from cocaine abuse heals substantially over a year (and, ironically, in many of the same regions where the stimulant study found severe damage) once users quit.
Of note, the substance they looked at was no ordinary party-snorting cocaine, but rather a stronger and potentially more dangerous form of the drug. Get the rest of the story here, or visit our Molecular Imaging Community at molecular.auntminnie.com.
Radiologists order appropriately
Finally, there's good news on the utilization front: A study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that the vast majority of requests for additional imaging were appropriate.
The results (hallelujah) mean that radiologists are checking carefully for priors before ordering up new MRI and CT scans. What's the one indispensable tool they need to do that job effectively? Find out here or by visiting your CT Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
